Internal-combustion engine.



D. ROBERTS & 0. JAMES. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED DEO.13,1909.

972,02 Patented Oct; 4, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Wl ms D. ROBERTS & 0. JAMES. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED DEO.13,1909.

Patented 001;. 4, 1910.

Z SHEETS-SHEET 2.

TE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID ROBERTS, AND CHARLES JAMES, OF GRANTHAM, ENGLAND.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

. Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 4, 1910.

Application filed December 13, 1909. Serial No. 532,864.

provements in or Connected with Internal- Combustion Engines, of which the following isa specification.

. Our invention relates to improvements in or connected with internal combustion engines of the kind in which hydrocarbon fuel is injected into the vaporizer, the object being to provide improved means for effecting and cont-rolling the said injection. In such engines as hitherto usually constructed the oil or hydrocarbon is injected through an oil spray nozzle by means of a pump, the plunger of which is actuated by a cam or eccentric which operates a striker and slack or lost motion being provided between the striker and the pump plunger, so that only that part of the cam or travel of the eccentric which gives the quickest motion is made use of. The said oil spray nozzle is located in the vaporizer valve-box, which is attached to the combustion chamber, and is fitted with horizontal valve which acts as a checkvalve against the explosion in the combustion chamber, and with a vertical or reliefvalve, through which the excess of oil is by-passed back to the container. Such engines have been governed by controlling the oil sup ly by mechanically operating the aforesaid vertical or relief-valve through themedium of a cam driven from any convenient part of the engine, such as the cam shaft, and under the control of the governor,

which brings its operative face into action either earlier or later in accordance with the load upon the engine. The result of this construction is that the relief or vertical valve is opened either when-the pump has ass or relief-valve in the vaporizer valVeox,, the said valve being of any suitable type, such as a piston-valve or miter-valve. The valve is arranged to be operated mechanically by a cam from any convenient roillustrating a modification.

tating part of the engine, in such a manner that it is open when t e pump plunger commences its forcing stroke, thus by-passing the oil or hydrocarbon, and at a redetermined point, is mechanically close. On the valve thus closing, the oil or hydrocarbon is foroed by the horizontal valve through the spray nozzle into. the combustion chamber at a high velocity, without 110188 01 shock. On the return stroke of the additional relief-valve the by-pass is again opened and the cycle of operations begins de nooo.

In a modified construction we employ a single piston-valve in lieu of the two relief or by-pass valves in the vaporizer valvebox, the said piston valve being formed with two peripheral grooves, separated by a bar, the opposite edges of WllICh serve to open and close two ports formed in the vaporizer valve box and corresponding approximately to the peripheral grooves in the piston valve. The plston valve maybe mechanically operated by a cam or eccentric in any known manner so that its length or travel can be controlled by the governor in such a manner that the time .of closing the upper port and opening the lower ort can. be varied, thus varying the lengt and time of the pump delivery stroke according to the load upon the engine.

In the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 is a sectional end view of a vaporizer valve box having our improvement applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of a vaporizer valve-box having an additional by-pass or relief-valve of the piston type. Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation of the same. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 Figs. 5 and 6 are sectional elevations illustrating still further modifications, and Fig. 7 is a plan view of the arrangement shown in Fig. 6.

Referring first to the construction illustrated in Fig. 1 a is the vaporized, b is the oil pump, 0 is the pump plunger and d is the cam which is mounted on the shaft 6, and by which the said plunger is operated directly and without slack or lost motion. f is the piston valve 0 is in the open position, that is cut forms and we have shown several in the accompanying drawing. 4

In the construction shown in Figs. 2 and 3 Z represents the ordinary vertical by-pass valve which is operated by a cam controlled by the governor, the valve in the drawing.

being shown in its 'closedposition that is to say resting on the seat m. n is the overflow outlet from the said valve. -0 is the additional relief or by-pass valve which is of the piston type, and inthe drawing is shown in the open position. This valve 9 works in a cylindrical passageo which is formed with a' ocket'o in communication b a assa e 0 with the oil inlet 9, and the/said valve is formed with an annular recess or groove 39 from the bottom of which holes g,e'xtend to the hollow bore of the said valve. The-upper end of theinteriorof the piston valve 0 is also in communication with the periphery thereof by means of the hole or holes 8 which places the interior of the said valve in communicationwith the space' 27 from which there extends the overflow outlet u passing back to the oil container. 7

With the described construction, when the to say, in the position indicated in'the drawing, the surplus oil passes from the passage 9 through the passage 0 into the pocket 0 1 and thence through the hole or holes g into -the interiorof the valve 0 from the upper! end of which'it issues through the hole or holess into. the space t whence it passes through the overflow outlet a and back to the oi container. It will be understood that the valve 0 remains open to by-pass the oil so long as the grooved or recessed portion 79 thereof remains within the pocket 0 the oil being .cut oil" on the lower edged) of'the said passing over the upper' groove or recess edge 'w of the poo et 0 As will be understood from the foregoing description, the

VELIVQ'O is opened by a cam actuated from any suitable rotating part of the engine and is closed by the spring :0.) or, the said spring may effect theopening and the cam closure of-the valve. a Fig. 3 represents the usual horizontal check-valve, I) being the oil spray nozzle and c the. spraying pad.

The construction illustrated in Fig. 4 is similar to that shown in Figs. 2 and 3 with the exception that the additional by-pass valve 0 is formed with a mitered seat d in lieu of the annular recess abovefreferred to.

In Fig. 5 we have illustrated a construction wherein a single piston-valve is em- .vales. e

ployed in lieu of the two relief or by-pass represents this single piston-- valve and f, f are the two peripheral grooves which are formed on the said valve, g being the bar which separates these two grooves andk and y" being the operating or cutting ofi edges of the valve. and [0 are the twoports in the Vaporizer valve-box and n the overflow outlet.

The operation of this modification is as' -follows that is to say, when the pump begins its forcing stroke one of the peripheral grooves, say the upper one f of the valve is opened, the lower groove f being closed by the intermediate bar'g As the oil pump plunger descends, the oil which it delivers is by-passed through the said upper groove f" into theport k and thence back to the oil' tank through the overflow outlet 11. At a predetermined point, th at,is to say,- at the commencement of the oil injection and when the pump plunger is executing the quickest portlon of its travel, the piston valve is me- 'chanically moved so as to close the upper port 10 this being effected by the bar 9, the plunger then travels forward to effect this delivery or forcing stroke and at the termination of its stroke the lower peripheral groove f? on the piston-valve is opened, this being eflected by the continued upward movement of the said valve, the result being 1 that 4 the w oil delivered byfithe surplus stroke .of the pump plunger is by-passed. While.

the pump is executing its suction stroke the piston valve travels downward thereby closing the lower and opening the upper groove in the valve, after which the cycle of operations is started de no vo'.

Fi s'. 6 and 7' illustrate a modification whic is similar to that shown in Fig. 5 except that the piston-valve e is made hollow and the oil passes-up through the center thereof instead of around the outside. In other respects the construction and action of this form of valve are the same as those deto be per the vaporizer, a by-pass for surplus liquid 7 connected with said passage, a valve controlling said by-pass, mechanism operated by the engine, forpositively opening said valve holding it open during a partof the cycle, to permitthe liquid to return through the by-pass, and for closing said valve at a predetermined point in the cycle to force the liquid into' said vapojrizmg chamber.

2. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with the vaporizing chamber, of a ,liquid hydrocarbon pump, provided with a. delivery passage communicatmg with the vaporizer, a by-pass for surplus liquid connected with said passage a valve control-v ling said by-pass, mechanism operated by the engine, for holding said valve open during a part of the cycle, to permit the liquid to remama turn through the by-pass, and for closing said valve at a predetermined point in the cycle to force the liquid into said vaporizing chamber, a second by-pass for said delivery passage, a normally closed valve controlling said second by-pass, and mechanism operated by'the'enginefor opening the said nor- 'mally closed valve, after the closing of the livery passage, a normally closed valve controlling said second by-p'ass, and governor controlled mechanism operated by the engine for opening said normally closed valve at varying periods in the cycle, after the closing of'the first mentioned by-pass.

4. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a vaporizer, of a spraying nozzle, and check valve therefor, a liquid hydrocarbon pump connected with said spraying nozzle, a bypass for surplus liquid, a valve controlling said by-pass, means operated by the engine for positively opening and closing said valve at predetermined times in the cycle, a second by-pass for surplus liquid, a second valve controlling said bypass, and a governor controlled mechanism for operating said second valve, at varying times in the cycle, to automatically control the amount of liquid admitted for each charge.

5. In an internal combustion engine, the

combination with the vaporizing chamber, of a valve casing provided with a delivery passage communicating with said chamber, an inlet passage for liquid hydrocarbon, and means for by-passing surplus liquid, a normally open .by-pass valve, a normally closed by-pass valve, means operated by the engine for closing the normally open valve and thereafter opening the normally closed valve, and a pump connected with the inlet of the valve casing.

6. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with the vaporizing chamber,

,of a valve asing provided with a delivery passage communicating with said chamber, an inlet passage for liquid hydrocarbon, and means for by-passing surplus liquid, a normally open by-pass valve, a normally closed by-pass valve, saidiv'alves being integral, means operated by the engine for moving said combined valves to close the normally open valve, Without opening the normally closed valve, and governor controlled devices operated by the engine for there-after opening the normally closed valve, and a pump connected with the inlet of the valve casing.

7. In an internal combustion engine, the

combination with the vaporizing chamber, I

of a pump for hydrocarbon liquid connected with said chamber and having an uniform stroke, means for by-passing the surplus liquid, valve mechanism operated by the engine for opening communication with a by-pass at a point in the cycle, before the delivery of a charge to the vaporizer, and governor controlled mechanism for opening communica,-,

tion with aby-pass at varying periods in the cycle thereafter.

DAVID ROBERTS.

, CHARLES JAMES.

vWitnesses:

SAMUEL WILLIAM PAYNE, EDWARD PEAoooK. 

